The Flu

Influenza has visited our home! The timing could not be worse! This week, term and semester finals are scheduled at our high school and my sophomore is down with the flu!

It is never a convenient time to be sick. But, there are some times worse than others and this is one of those times! We should have seen it coming, but didn’t. A headache, feeling “really” tired, a developing cough were all precursors of the full-blown illness that arrived two days ago.

Yesterday, my boy who usually bounces out of bed in the morning, full of energy – energy enough to dance around the kitchen – requested to stay home, stating “he felt awful”. and his legs were “hollow”. We acquiesced, having this be the first day in quite a while that he has been absent.

Yet, when you are missing school the day before final exams, you still study while laying on the couch. So, that was our boy’s day yesterday. Sleeping, eating sparingly, and studying, while sipping ginger ale. He missed performing a skit in Spanish – one that he had helped write over last weekend. Later he found out that his group performed the skit with out him. Last night, I saw a strong possibility that he would have to be out when his final exams were taking place today and tomorrow.

After posting a call for help on Facebook – had this ever happened to anyone else – missing finals for an illness? How was it handled, I wondered? Thankfully, friends responded and I had some knowledge of what would happen if he could not take his final exams.

I emailed his teachers and a vice principal because I could not find a policy about this on our school’s website. I heard back from staff promptly. My son is a good to great student. He studies, does his work with quality, and completes assignments on time. In other words, he cares about how he does in school. Being out during an “important” day such as a final exam day, was not like him at all. Thankfully, his teachers all knew this!

By this morning, we were sure it was the “flu”. He had all the common symptoms. I woke him up and saw that he was still ill. Despite that, I had to talk him out of going into to school today – he is taking AP Calculus and that term final was to be this morning. I could see what he was contemplating – his responsibilities as a student, and respect for his teachers, contrasted with his need to feel better. We knew what would happen if he did not show up for the test. He has time to complete it – even after the term ends. That is why I asked yesterday – so we could make an informed decision. But, he must have really felt bad this morning because after reviewing his options and knowing he had a window during which his finals could be made up, he returned to sleep. And, is still sleeping now, three hours later. It was a good call to have him stay home.